# "That's The Truth, Truth" Commercial Pulled By Direct TV? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 10, 2011, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-the-truth-truth-commercial-pulled-by-direct-tv/592252 "2011-08-10T20:55:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-the-truth-truth-commercial-pulled-by-direct-tv/592252/21 "2011-08-12T15:16:13Z")
> [@spooje](#): > > What about the little chinese guy the’re using now? > > “Everything I do is crazy big!” The two women who form his “entourage” are crazy hot. And I don’t get the racist aspect of any of the ads - just the douchebaggery. ---
**Author:** ![chorpler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chorpler/32/2888_2.png) [@chorpler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chorpler)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-the-truth-truth-commercial-pulled-by-direct-tv/592252/22 "2011-08-12T15:38:39Z")
The commercial can be seen here: [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ws7I18g6K0) ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-the-truth-truth-commercial-pulled-by-direct-tv/592252/23 "2011-08-12T16:04:37Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > [I’ve only seen this one, with the gangster character.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vHT6b7u1_Y) I’m not seeing anything suggesting Gregor’s a gangster in that one, any more than in the other one. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-the-truth-truth-commercial-pulled-by-direct-tv/592252/24 "2011-08-12T17:29:08Z")
I don’t understand the whole campaign. “These jerks like DirectTV. If you buy DirectTV, you can be an asshole, too!” Is there a large market segment of people who are trying to be more obnoxious but haven’t figured out the right products and services to buy to get them there? ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-the-truth-truth-commercial-pulled-by-direct-tv/592252/25 "2011-08-12T17:32:40Z")
nm ---
**Author:** ![LurkerInNJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ed655f/32.png) [@LurkerInNJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkerInNJ)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-the-truth-truth-commercial-pulled-by-direct-tv/592252/26 "2011-08-12T17:53:07Z")
I crack up at the animals in the Direct TV ads. The dogs playing poker, the tiny giraffe, the boxing kangaroos, giant panda, etc. The theme, to me anyway, always seems to be new money and humorous ostentatious ways to spend it; but that you too can have Direct TV even if you aren’t insanely rich. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-the-truth-truth-commercial-pulled-by-direct-tv/592252/27 "2011-08-12T17:55:06Z")
> [@Tengu](#): > > I’m not seeing anything suggesting Gregor’s a gangster in that one, any more than in the other one. Russian guy in a tracksuit. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-the-truth-truth-commercial-pulled-by-direct-tv/592252/28 "2011-08-12T18:45:53Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Russian guy in a tracksuit. With a miniature giraffe and Barbie-doll chicks who appear to have been dressed and made up by a drag queen, if memory serves. ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-the-truth-truth-commercial-pulled-by-direct-tv/592252/29 "2011-08-12T18:58:51Z")
> [@LurkerInNJ](#): > > I crack up at the animals in the Direct TV ads. The dogs playing poker, the tiny giraffe, the boxing kangaroos, giant panda, etc… Tiny Giraffe is awesome. Did you notice the kiss he gives? Hee! ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-the-truth-truth-commercial-pulled-by-direct-tv/592252/30 "2011-08-12T19:47:48Z")
> [@amarinth](#): > > I don’t understand the whole campaign. “These jerks like DirectTV. If you buy DirectTV, you can be an asshole, too!” Is there a large market segment of people who are trying to be more obnoxious but haven’t figured out the right products and services to buy to get them there? I agree with you, the whole campaign says this product is not for you Madmonk28. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-the-truth-truth-commercial-pulled-by-direct-tv/592252/31 "2011-08-12T20:01:43Z")
> [@Nzinga\_Seated](#): > > Tiny Giraffe is awesome. Did you notice the kiss he gives? Hee! I know. I want a tiny giraffe. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-the-truth-truth-commercial-pulled-by-direct-tv/592252/32 "2011-08-12T20:16:30Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > With a miniature giraffe and Barbie-doll chicks who appear to have been dressed and made up by a drag queen, if memory serves. Something like that, yes. This isn’t a hill I want to die on because I think all I said was that the character could be taken as a Russian gangster stereotype. But seriously, what other kind of rich person (who is obviously not a track and field star) wears a tracksuit as everyday wear? ---
**Author:** ![LurkerInNJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ed655f/32.png) [@LurkerInNJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkerInNJ)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-the-truth-truth-commercial-pulled-by-direct-tv/592252/33 "2011-08-12T20:31:46Z")
> [@Nzinga\_Seated](#): > > Tiny Giraffe is awesome. Did you notice the kiss he gives? Hee! (read with Russian accent) You must visit world wide famous Sokoblovsky Farms, the best and only breeders of Petite Lap Giraffe as seen on American tv commercial. [http://www.petitelapgiraffe.com/](http://www.petitelapgiraffe.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Tarwater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9de0a6/32.png) [@Tarwater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tarwater)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-the-truth-truth-commercial-pulled-by-direct-tv/592252/34 "2011-08-12T22:05:35Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > It is certainly not uncommon for speakers of African American Vernacular English to replace a final “th” sound with an “f”. Or as wiki puts it: > > Recognizing this and putting it into a commercial isn’t necessarily racist, but it was a stupid commercial. I just watched the commercial. From what I can tell, most of characters are producing the standard θ fricative. The champion fighter is without a doubt pronouncing the ‘th’ in truth – I can see from his lip arrangement alone that he’s not reducing it. The kid is producing it. Most of his entourage, with the possible exception of the two dudes holding up his trophy belt, are producing it. To me, people often project AAVE phonology where none are present. See the [video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfPWpEKhgfk) of Will Smith saying “Welcome to Earth,” in Independence Day. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-the-truth-truth-commercial-pulled-by-direct-tv/592252/35 "2011-08-12T22:11:18Z")
> [@Tarwater](#): > > I just watched the commercial. From what I can tell, most of characters are producing the standard θ fricative. The champion fighter is without a doubt pronouncing the ‘th’ in truth – I can see from his lip arrangement alone that he’s not reducing it. The kid is producing it. Most of his entourage, with the possible exception of the two dudes holding up his trophy belt, are producing it. > > To me, people often project AAVE phonology where none are present. See the [video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfPWpEKhgfk) of Will Smith saying “Welcome to Earth,” in Independence Day. I guess I’m just hearing it differently. I don’t hear the θ fricative from anyone but the boxer. I’m not sure of the purpose of the ID clip. I hear the “th” clearly in that one. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2011, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-the-truth-truth-commercial-pulled-by-direct-tv/592252/36 "2011-08-13T03:59:10Z")
> [@bienville](#): > > If it’s not “typically black”, or, more to the point, if the advertisers are not playing off of what they expect to be the audience’s notion of “typically black” then all we have is an eccentric and obnoxious character. I think it’s more “typically rich undereducated black”. I.E. rappers and athletes. I think it’s more prejudiced against celebrity per se than racist. Technically, it plays on racial stereotypes, but they are a stereotype SUBSET. I don’t think it counts as very racist if you are stereotyping a subset of a population with such specific parameters, even if one of the very many parameters seems to be race. Because you could easily keep all the other parameters, but switch out the race, and the stereotype would remain mostly the same. I don’t think it’s any more offensive (though it’s less entertaining) than the Russian one. Nothing here to see. Move along. OTOH, within the historical context of black portrayals in media, it stings a little to see a negative portrayal of black people, even if it’s fine out of context. It may take another decade or so before people’s first instinct is something other than “haven’t they been picked on enough”? ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2011, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-the-truth-truth-commercial-pulled-by-direct-tv/592252/37 "2011-08-13T04:17:04Z")
> [@Tarwater](#): > > I just watched the commercial. From what I can tell, most of characters are producing the standard θ fricative. The champion fighter is without a doubt pronouncing the ‘th’ in truth – I can see from his lip arrangement alone that he’s not reducing it. The kid is producing it. Most of his entourage, with the possible exception of the two dudes holding up his trophy belt, are producing it. > > To me, people often project AAVE phonology where none are present. See the [video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfPWpEKhgfk) of Will Smith saying “Welcome to Earth,” in Independence Day. Funny - I always heard it as “Thats the truth, tooth” - as in the Boxer guys nickname was “the tooth” because of his diamond tooth or something - and it might have been ‘toof’ because without the front teeth, thats how it would likely sound, and it stuck. ETA - its been a while since I’ve seen it, the main boxer did have odd teeth, rigth? I’m not just making this up… I hope. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2011, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-the-truth-truth-commercial-pulled-by-direct-tv/592252/38 "2011-08-13T06:52:09Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > I guess I’m just hearing it differently. I don’t hear the θ fricative from anyone but the boxer. > > I’m not sure of the purpose of the ID clip. I hear the “th” clearly in that one. Neither to I, but I don’t hear an [f] either. They are both barely articulated. The thing is, I associate that more with the rapper culture than I would saying troof. I would just assume that was baby talk. ---
**Author:** ![Tarwater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9de0a6/32.png) [@Tarwater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tarwater)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2011, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-the-truth-truth-commercial-pulled-by-direct-tv/592252/39 "2011-08-13T07:11:12Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > I guess I’m just hearing it differently. I don’t hear the θ fricative from anyone but the boxer. > > I’m not sure of the purpose of the ID clip. I hear the “th” clearly in that one. You have to read the Youtube comments to understand what I mean. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2011, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-the-truth-truth-commercial-pulled-by-direct-tv/592252/40 "2011-08-13T10:47:34Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > a tracksuit as everyday wear? It’s not every day wear - it’s a workout. Yeah, he has someone else to do the real work for him (because he’s rich), but he’s working out - that’s what all the electrodes on him are for. Watch his biceps when he says ‘no pain…_no pain_!’ The Simpsons did the same gag with Mr Burns and Smithers (except without the superscientific device that lets Gregor actually gain from the workout of the other guy). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-the-truth-truth-commercial-pulled-by-direct-tv/592252.md?page=1)